**********, atrocious, shocking!

URGENT!!! What a nightmare and the most traumatic experience for anyone trying to access healthcare at a government hospital! Never never never would I recommend anyone to visit this hospital with any kind of ailment or need for hospital care or service. Firstly their waiting period just to be triaged is ridiculous. My 90 year old father was referred by a private doctor as he does not have medical aid insurance, for severe pain which the doctor expect is an ailing kidney. We waited for 3,5 hours! just to be assessed on their triage system only to be told that he'll have to wait as his case was not urgent! After 3,5 hours of waiting already! I fed him pain pills to keep the pain under control while he waited. 24h00 that night he was still waiting and I left with him, after waiting for 7.5 hours! A ninety year old man in pain! During enquiries while waiting I was told that he is not urgent and there are more important cases coming in before him, constantly referring to their triage diagnostic system. None that I could see from the other people in the waiting room all sitting like zombies waiting. And this is "normal" at this hospital, no tsunami, earthquake or major accidents happened at the time that could justify such an inhumane and mind boggling delay in treatment of a human being under normal circumstances!! This is not normal, but it's normal at this hospital and nurses are trotting by as if this was acceptable!! Absolutely disgusting. And their triage system is an absolute joke, it's used as an excuse to abuse people and deny their basic human rights. I have observed during all the time wasted waiting how this triage system is being misused and basic nursing duties neglected. I have seen young people sitting for hours playing on their phones taken in to see a doctor before my father, thanks to their triage system. People rated as top tier on the triage system gets pushed in only to come out again to wait because the doctor said they can wait longer. Is this an effective triage system where doctors and patients time gets wasted in the process?!?!? I observed on average one person actually got assisted every two hours. And services are not free! You are still going to be billed once they eventually see you!! This is not acceptable in a civilised world and an absolute hell hole. Government needs to seriously improve the system, appoint more staff and review their triage system. Absolutely disgusting excuse of a hospital for the average member of the public. If you're happy to lie on the floor for two days like a dog, good luck to you.